


Cut A Bargain

by Tricochet



Category: Constantine (TV), DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Love Confessions, M/M, Response to 4x13, Spoilers for 4x13
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-05
Updated: 2019-05-05
Packaged: 2020-02-26 17:45:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18721906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tricochet/pseuds/Tricochet
Summary: John can't lose another Gary, no matter what happens.





	Cut A Bargain

**Author's Note:**

> This fic does have some descriptions of physical harm. View the endnotes on the content for more detail. What you need to know happened before reading it is that Gary let himself be possessed by Neron after John insulted him and the Legends repeatedly made fun of him for over a whole season. Other background information from Constantine: John's old mate Gary Lester ended up causing the freeing of a demon, and John ultimately manipulated him into becoming a storage vessel for the demon and dying.

“Gary, if you do this, your soul is his.”

Gary has the knife pressed into John’s throat. John’s thought about this before, but never heard Gary’s breath in his ear or felt this blood start to drip down his shirt. It isn’t Gary, not really. The real Gary cried when he had to play an evil character in his role-playing game. This Gary has another knife in his other hand and is easily flipping it, catching it by the blade. John would be lying if it wasn’t kind of hot, but he’d much prefer Gary be talking about one of his characters or a show he watched or doing pretty much anything else at the moment.

“I don’t - I mean, how much do I have to lose?” Gary sounds hopeless. It’s not him. He’s very much under Neron’s control. John can feel him struggling, trying to break out of the deal he made. He still has to try to reach the real Gary. 

“Your soul,” John repeats. “Gary, this is my fault. You can’t let Neron have your soul because I fucked up again.” 

Sara makes eye contact. She has the weapon that can kill Gary and the demon inside. She’s prepared to use it. John shakes his head at her minutely. The action presses the blade in Gary’s hand a little deeper. 

John tries again. “You aren’t the first Gary I’ve known. You aren’t even the first Gary I’ve shagged. And the other one - he trusted me too. And I used him. Came up with a plan to manipulate him into becoming a vessel to contain a demon. I cut ritual marks on his face and held his hand while he bled out. It should have been me that died then, but I was selfish. I’m not sending you to hell for my mistakes too.”

“It isn’t your choice. You used me too. As unicorn bait, for sex, to water your plants. And I’m done with that.”

Gary catches the knife in his far hand and moves the close one away from John’s head. He tilts John’s chin back enough that John’s gasping. His eyes are watering, but he still sees the movement as Sara throws the demon-killer weapon at Gary. Gary doesn’t have the skill or ability to react. John does. 

He pushes Gary down and pulls himself up in one motion. Gary’s knife scrapes along his side without causing any real damage. Sara’s weapon hits him directly in the collarbone. 

John falls forward and screams. The point where it hit his body feels shattered. He can hear Gary gasp behind him before he hits the ground. 

“Idiot!” Sara yells at him, but John can only hear himself groaning. He rolls onto his side. The weapon was made to be fatal exclusively to demons and their hosts, but it still burns like hell. 

“I’m breaking the agreement. Take it back,” Gary says quietly. 

John’s eyes are shut as he clutches the spot where the weapon hit, but he feels Gary drop to the ground beside him. He hears fabric ripping, and then Gary yells too. John forces his eyes open and sees Gary on his knees next to him, shirt hanging open and the knife in his hand. One side of his chest is oozing black wisps into the air and bleeding where Gary had cut a piece off. It falls and hits the ground, making a disgusting noise and oozing blood. John puts his hand on the handle of the weapon in his body and rips it out of himself with a yell. It takes one stab for him to hit the disembodied piece of flesh. 

“John?” Gary says. John tries to turn to look at him before collapsing again. 

Gary stands up first. He bends down to help John up. John wonders how awful he looks. He can feel blood on his mouth and a bruise forming over his cheek. His shirt is soaked with blood. He also hasn’t slept in a while, but vanity won’t keep him alive. Gary doesn’t look his best either. His shirt is open, the part where he’d cut the demon flesh off bloody and raw. He still has the gathered appearance Neron helped him get, with his hair brushed flat and clothes that fit him too well. John, in his scattered thoughts, wonders if anyone else made a pass at Gary. 

Sara motions to interfere as Gary puts an arm around him. “Are you sure he’s not going to-”

“He’s not going to kill me, love,” John says, gesturing for her to stay put. “He would have done that already, as Neron. It’s the real Gary.”

“I’m going to bring him to Gideon, and then I’m going to go back to the Bureau and see if they have an empty cell,” Gary says honestly. He helps John out of the room.

John grunts when he stumbles into a wall. Gary holds onto him and keeps him upright. 

“Almost there. And here.”

Gary helps John onto the seat and turns to leave. 

“Don’t,” John says, almost pathetically.

“I could have killed you, John.”

“And I could have gotten your soul sent to hell and got you killed.” 

“It’s what would have had to happen. If it had been you or me…”

“If my actions had resulted in your death, Neron would have gotten my soul too. I wouldn’t have directly killed you, but he would still have gotten a claim. Because I - I love you. You’ve always scared the shit out of me. Most of the people I know start bad and end up worse. But you - you’re a good person. I stopped seeing you because I wanted you away from the demon, but I still wanted you close to me, so I fucked that up. It would have been my fault if you’d died - it was my fault you were in that stall with me, and it’s my fault I said what I said. I made you turn to him.”

“You know I love you too. If he’d made me kill you I’d… John, I tried. I tried to save you.”

“You did save me. You cut off a piece of yourself to break the bargain with him. Mate, demons are bastards. It’s not just anyone who’d be able to get out of a possession agreement. You’re special, Gary. And I’m sorry. I treated you like you weren’t worth anything.” 

Gary doesn’t respond. Gideon’s been working on him too, trying to seal the cut on his chest. He just looks over at John and smiles. 

John can feel some sort of fast-acting sedative Gideon must have administered. 

“Are you going to be here when I wake up?” he asks, aware of how many times Gary had asked him the same question and how few times he’d said yes. 

Gary nods, and John lets himself sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> While it isn't described in detail, one character is hit with a weapon. It's probably difficult to describe this without spoiling the whole story, but another character makes a decision to slice off the demon part of his body. 
> 
> So I just watched Episode 4 of Constantine and wow. No wonder John has commitment issues with men named Gary. It's Sunday afternoon, and the new Legends airs on Monday night, so I'm going to see if I can finish the Constantine series by then. Also, I have a few other ideas rattling in my brain, including a continuation of this and an alternate version of this where John makes .... a different line of choices. 
> 
> I'm not completely happy with the ending on here, but I spent a while trying to get a better one. It didn't work, so this is the ending I'm stuck with. Thank you for reading! If you liked this fic, you might also enjoy another possessed Gary I wrote: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16756435


End file.
